Photovoltaic textiles

Abstract

A tape structure and related circuit configurations for textile systems to establish electrical characteristics of textiles. The textiles incorporate charge carrying components, such as photovoltaic components, in contact with conductive layers in a single tape structure to improve electrical properties without compromising physical characteristics of the textiles. The textiles include photovoltaic tapes, each having an optically transparent layer, a photovoltaic layer, a first electrically conducting layer, a second electrically conducting layer and an insulating substrate located between the first electrically conducting layer and the second electrically conducting layer.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0001]This invention was made using funds obtained from the US Government (US Army, Contract Nos. W911QY-10-C-0015 and W911QY-14-C-0075), and the US Government therefore has certain rights in this invention.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]This invention relates to textiles designed for converting electrical charges, such as charges generated through solar energy, into usable electricity. More specifically the invention is directed to electrical charge transfer textiles, photovoltaic systems, solar textiles, and sub-components which reduce electrical resistance for improved performance.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Photovoltaic systems convert sunlight into electricity through the action of photovoltaic cells. Large solar arrays currently in use typically have numerous panels or modules, each with many photovoltaic cells. Such arrays have been made from rigid components. More rec...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014]Accordingly, the present invention is directed to novel photovoltaic systems, components, and methods of manufacturing related to solar textiles. In general, the invention improves solar textile performance by taking a systems approach to the overall design. Textiles in accordance with the present invention employ integrated tape structures containing both the charge converting PV layer and conductive charge transport layers. The prior art system disclosed in regard to the PCT application referenced above comprises two distinct components, the PV tapes and the conductive bus bar conduits. The two were interwoven and so incapable of utilizing the entire surface area of the solar textile to collect solar energy. The present invention improves manufacturing options and substantially eliminates the shadowing limitation by integrating solar energy conversion and charge transport into a single tape structure. Specifically, the single tape structure comprises first and second electrically conductive layers sandwiched around an insulating substrate. The insulating substrate may be a unitary layer or it may be formed of a plurality of layers. A PV layer is applied on a top surface of the first electrically conducting layer. The PV layer may be a unitary layer or it may be formed of a plurality of layers. The PV layer provides the photovoltaic functionality while the second conductive layer performs as a low-resistance transport channel to permit low-loss charge movement along the axis of the tape. One or more conductive contacts may be positioned on an upper surface of the PV layer spaced from the first electrically conducting layer by the PV layer. This design overcomes the limitations previously described by permitting collection of solar energy across the entire surface area of the textile. In addition, by simultaneously providing the needed low-resistance path to move charge in and out of the textile weave, the single tape structure enables the formation of sufficiently efficient charge carrying textiles suitable for powering devices.

[0015]The single tape structure of the present invention can be used as both the warp and weft components and enables the formation of a solar textile without requiring a separate bus bar conduit. The tape structure of the present invention enables the fabrication of a textile from a weave of a plurality of such tape structures so that various circuit combinations are available and the output of those circuits is better than what is available when separate solar energy converting and charge transport components are used.

Problems solved by technology

The two were interwoven and so incapable of utilizing the entire surface area of the solar textile to collect solar energy.

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